GP surgery set up by NHS architect under threat

A GP surgery set up by one of the architects of the NHS is under threat despite a multi million pound refit because of plans to build a "super surgery" just yards away, doctors say.

By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent

3:05PM BST 04 Jul 2008

The Bournbrook Varsity Medical Practice has been treating patients in the Birmingham suburb of Selly Oak since the 1890s.

It is currently in the process of a £2 million expansion to create 12 new consulting rooms and even its own operating theatre.

But, on the day the health service celebrates its 60th anniversary, the GP in charge of the practice says that its future is in jeopardy because of minister's plans to build a polyclinic on his doorstep.

Ministers want to build almost 150 new clinics, classed as "GP led health centres", outside London over the next few years.

Earlier this year more than 1.2 million patients signed a petition organised by the British Medical Association (BMA) against the imposition of the new clinics.

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But the Government insists they will improve patient care and create a "world class" health service.

Dr Victor Cross condemned the Government plans as "utter madness" and a waste of valuable NHS resources.

He said: "This is a complete waste of public money.

"This money could be so much better spent employing more medical staff at the front end delivering care."

The practice was set up by Dr Guy Dain who came to prominence in the late 1940s when he helped to negotiate the shape of the NHS with Aneurin Bevin, the then health minister.

As the chairman of the British Medical Association, many of whose members were unsure of the new venture, Dr Dain played a crucial part in determining how the system would work.

All the time he still worked as a GP at the practice, where he treated patients until well into the 1950s.

The refurbishment of the surgery has even been specifically designed to preserve Dr Dain's original consulting room.

Dr Cross, who has worked as a GP at the practice for the last 25 years, said that he could not understand why ministers were keen to open another large scale clinic in the area.

He said: "This is utter madness - here is everything the Government brief demands for walk-in centres.

"It ticks all the boxes.

"But now, just as it is all coming to fruition, the Government is threatening to parachute a private company in to run, what amounts to a competing GP practice, on my doorstep."

He said that his practice was in the "precise geographical area" that local health managers had identified as their preferred location for the new clinic and that he was worried that the new practice could put him out of business.

The refitted surgery is due to open in September, just eight months ahead of the deadline for the new clinic of next April.

Mark Simmonds, the Conservative shadow health minister, said: "Dr Cross' new surgery was the perfect example of a local community expanding GP services to respond to local needs. Unfortunately millions of pounds of his and taxpayers money will now be wasted trying to implement a top-down diktat from Whitehall.

"If the Government was really interested in patient care they would allow local communities to spend money allocated to improve GP surgeries as they see fit rather than imposing polyclinics on them in such a high handed manner."

Dr Cross has even gained support from Labour MPs.

Lynne Jones, the Labour Selly Oak MP, has written to the Health Secretary Alan Johnson accusing the Government of "rushing" to "impose" new centres on areas the do not need them, failing to consult properly and making doctors feel "bullied".